<\/p>\n
Belarus has freed 123 prisoners, including prominent opposition activist Maria Kolesnikova, after the US agreed to lift sanctions on the Eastern European country.<\/p>\n
Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski is also among those who have been freed following talks in Minsk with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Belarus, John Coale.<\/p>\n
The US has agreed to lift sanctions on potash, a key ingredient in fertiliser and an important export for Belarus, which is a close ally of Russia. <\/p>\n
Coale said: “As relations between the two countries normalise, more and more sanctions will be lifted.”<\/p>\n
Belarus’ president, Alexander Lukashenko, is not recognised as president by the EU. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Kolesnikova has been in prison since 2020, much of the time in isolation.<\/p>\n
Her sister, Tatiana Khomich, who campaigned tirelessly for her release was able to speak to her by video call soon after and confirmed the news to the BBC.<\/p>\n
“She is free, she looks fine, she looks good,” said Khomich, who said she was looking forward to giving her sibling a hug. <\/p>\n
A group of those released are expected in Lithuania’s capital Vilnius shortly. A crowd is gathering outside the US embassy.<\/p>\n
Khomich said the first thing Kolesnikova said when they spoke was “thank you to the US administration, President Trump [and] to the Belarus government as well for leading and talking and having these negotiations”.<\/p>\n
The deal is a major achievement for Lukashenko and the authoritarian leader will also welcome how the Americans have ended his international isolation.<\/p>\n
As well as the EU, the US did not recognise Lukashenko as president following unfair elections five years ago which led to mass street protests that were brutally suppressed by police.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of people were arrested then \u2013 including Kolesnikova – and the intense political repression has continued.<\/p>\n
Western sanctions were tightened following Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when troops entered via Belarus and missiles were launched from its territory.<\/p>\n
Coale was quoted by Belarusian state media saying that the sanctions on potash would be lifted immediately,<\/p>\n
The US envoy also said he spoke to Lukashenko about Ukraine and what help Minsk could offer in talks with Putin.<\/p>\n
The attempt to engage with Minsk is part of a major shift in US policy, which leaves it very much at odds with Europe \u2013 where the approach is to sanction and isolate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
#Belarus #frees #prisoners #lifts #sanctions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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